1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of retrieving a desired function among a plurality of home appliances respectively having different functions.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following are existing appliance/device connectivity techniques and their characteristics.
UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) is a technique of performing retrieval based on the type names of appliances/devices, the type names of devices, and device names. HAVi (Home Audio/Video interoperability) is a technique of performing retrieval based on IDs and attributes (function type names and vendor names) and a standard for AV appliances. There is some technique of performing retrieval based on the functions of appliances as well as the types of appliances.
Assume that the number of appliances that can simultaneously access one appliance is determined in advance. For such a case, there is also available a technique (exclusive control) for allowing access to the appliance within this limit (e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-196636).
Conventionally, connection between appliances (devices),has been established by using the type names of appliances (devices), limitations and the like predetermined for the respective appliances. However, since the names of the respective appliances, the name of an appliance to be found at the time of retrieval, limitations of the respective appliances, and the like are statically written in advance in the respective appliances, only static connection relationships can be established.
According to the conventional techniques described above, therefore, it is difficult to retrieve an optimal appliance suitable for one of various kinds of requests from various kinds of appliances among various kinds of functions (services) used in the home and appliances that are assumed to be in various states.